Wuthering Heights From the story by Emily Bronte

Catherine pulled up a footstool^[76] and sat beside her cousin. At first she was silent, trying not to trouble him, but soon she decided to make a pet of him, and started stroking his curls^[77] and kissing his cheeks and offering him tea in a saucer, just like a baby. This pleased the feeble boy, who dried his eyes and gave a faint smile.

«This will be good for the boy,» Edgar said cheerfully. «And he’ll soon grow stronger, with another child to keep him company.»

«If only we can keep him with us!» I thought to myself.

Later that evening, old Joseph arrived from Wuthering Heights and asked to speak to my master.

«Heathcliff has sent for his lad» he announced, «and I must bring him back with me tonight.»

Edgar was silent for a moment. He wanted to do his best to protect his sister’s child, but he knew he couldn’t refuse Linton’s father.

«Tell Mr. Heathcliff,» he said, «that his son will come to Wuthering Heights tomorrow. He’s in bed now and I won’t let him go till the morning.»

«No!» shouted Joseph, thumping the table. «I must take him with me now!»

«You won’t take him tonight,» answered Edgar firmly. «Now go and tell your master what I said.» «Very well!» growled Joseph, as he left the room.

«But if you don’t send the lad tomorrow, Heathcliff will come himself and take him home.»

At five o’clock the next morning, I went in to wake young Linton. He was very unhappy at the thought of another journey, but I tried to comfort him by telling him how excited his father was to meet him.

«My father!» he cried in amazement. «Mama never told me I had a father. I’d much rather stay here with Uncle Edgar.»

Eventually, I persuaded him to come with me, and we set off on horseback across the moors. All the way there, Linton kept asking me questions about his father, and I struggled to answer him as truthfully as I dared.

When we arrived at Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff, Joseph and Hareton all came out of the house to stare at Linton.

«Surely,» said Joseph, «that can’t be a boy? Mr. Edgar’s sent you a girl instead!»

Heathcliff gave a scornful laugh. «My God! What a beauty! What a lovely, charming thing! This is even worse than I expected!»

I helped the trembling boy down from his horse, and he clung to me and sobbed, but Heathcliff dragged him roughly away.

«I hope you’ll be kind to him,» I told Heathcliff fiercely, «or he won’t live long. And he’s the only family you have in the world.»

«Oh, I’ll look after him, don’t you worry,» he replied, laughing. «I want him to inherit Thrushcross Grange one day. And I’ll make sure he’s brought up like a gentleman. But I can’t say I’ll be proud of such a pale-faced, whining wretch!»

So I left poor Linton up at the Heights, and returned home sadly, not knowing when I’d see him again. Miss Catherine was bitterly disappointed to find that her young cousin had gone to stay with his father, and for a few weeks she asked about him every day. But eventually she forgot all about him, and life at the Grange returned to normal.

Whenever I saw Zillah in Gimmerton, I asked her about Linton. She told me he was often ill and always complaining. Heathcliff despised his son for being such a weakling, and hated the way he looked like Edgar. But he obviously had a plan for the boy. Zillah was given instructions to feed him only the finest food and to give him all the books he wanted.

Meanwhile, down at the Grange, life continued peacefully until Miss Catherine was sixteen years old. We never celebrated her birthday, because it was also the day that her mother had died. Mr. Edgar always spent the day alone, and Catherine was left to please herself. So, on the morning of her sixteenth birthday, she came downstairs ready for a walk on the moors with me.

It was a beautiful spring day, and I was happy to enjoy the sunshine while Catherine bounded ahead of me, searching for a moorhen’s nest in the heather.

Before I realized it, we were nearly up at the Heights. I called to her to turn back, but she was too far away to hear me, and when I caught up with her at last, I saw she was talking to two men. I recognized them immediately as Heathcliff and Hareton.

«Miss Catherine,» I panted, «we must go home immediately.»

But Catherine refused. «This gentleman has asked me to go back to his house and meet his son. He says I’ve met him before, but I don’t think that can be right, do you?»

And before I could stop her, Catherine was off, scampering towards the house with Hareton running after her.

«Heathcliff, this is very wrong,» I said to him angrily. «You know Mr. Edgar will be furious if Catherine sees Linton again.»

«But I want her to see Linton,» Heathcliff replied. «It’s part of my plan. I want the two cousins to fall in love and marry. Then Catherine will inherit the Grange with Linton – now isn’t that a generous plan?»

«And if they marry, but Linton dies,» I asked, «would Catherine then inherit the Grange?»